Heating and drying system



April 7, 1936. B. B. RUSSELL HEATING AND DRYING SYSTEM Fi led June 3, 1935 Patented pr. 7, 1936 UNITED S'IZATI'IS.

PATENT OFFICE ing Systems Inc., of Illinois Chicago, 111., a corporation Application nine 3, 1935, set-m No. 2 4,659 4 Claims. (01. 141 -1) This invention relates to heating and drying systems and more'particularly to heating water employed in a parts washer and drying the washed parts.

Articles of manufacture are usually cleansed before being painted or otherwise finished and for other purposes. This is usually done by passing the articles, herein referred to as parts, through a washer wherein cleansing is efiected by directing a multiplicity of streams of water on the parts. Hot water is usually employed and parts washers have been equipped with waterheating means such as steam coils. gas burners, and the like, but all of such means are expensive is to install and operate and have other disadvantages. Where steam coils are employed it is often necessary to provide a boiler or to increase the capacity of the available boiler, either of which procedures is expensive and objectionable. The washed parts are dried before the finishing operations are performed thereon and a variety of means have been employed for this purpose such as drying ovens which have been heated in difierent. ways including the circulation of 5 heated air therethrough and in such instances the air is usually heated to a temperature between 300" and 400 F.

The primary object of my invention is to employ heated air to heat wash water economically and efficiently and to then utilize the air to dry parts or the like cleansed by the heated wash water.

Other objects are to employ a novel arrangement of simple and inexpensive equipment in which air heated to a temperature sufficiently high to heat the water in a parts washer quickly may be passed directly from the washer to a dryer at a temperature proper for drying purposes; to withdraw heated air from an air heater and force it through the washer and dryer and recirculate air flowing from the dryer through the air heater by the use of a single fan or blower; to afford efficient heat transfer in the washer between the air 'and water-with minimum resistance to the air flow; and to admit fresh air through necessary openings in the equipment and thereby avoid heat losses .through these openings and thereby temper the air and establish and maintain a predetermined temperature in the air supplied to the washer.

4 A selected embodiment of my invention is illustratedin the accompanying drawing wherein Fig. 1 is a plan view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of a parts washer and dryer embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view looking in at the right hand end of Fig. 1 and in which certain parts are bn'kenaway;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view taken substantially on the line 3-3 on Fig. l and in 5 which a part of the housing is broken away;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional detail view taken substantially on the line tl on Fig. l; and

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view through the air heater and taken substantially on the line 10 5-5 on Fig. l.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing, 6 indicates the housing of a parts washer of suitable construction and which, as illustrated, has a monorail 15 track I at the top thereof along which suitable carriers may travel to convey the parts through the washer. A chain conveyor or the like could be used instead of the track and carriers. The

parts pass into the washer through an opening 8 20 I at one end of the housing and a dampered stack 9 is provided in the top Wall of the washer adjacent this opening.

A metal tank I 0 having good heat conductive properties is provided at the bottom of the wash- 25 er adjacent the inlet end thereof. A bank of perforated pipes H is associated with this tank and the pump l2 forces saponifled water from the tank through the perforations in a multiplicity of fine streams which strike the parts from all 30 angles and thoroughly cleanse the parts.

Another tank I3, similar to the tank I0, is provided with a bank of perforated pipes l4 and a pump l5 withdraws water from the tank and forces it through the pipes to rinse the parts 35 and free them of any saponified water that may remain thereon. The water in the tank I3 is recirculated and some saponifled water may collect therein. If this is true then the parts may be subjected to afinal rinsing as is done in the illustrated device by being moved past a bank of perforated pipes I6 communicating with a tank ll, similar to the tanks l0 and I3. A pump l8 forces clear water through the perforations in the pipes 45 I6 to thoroughly rinse the parts and thereby facilitate drying thereof in the dryer. After passing the bank of pipes It the parts move out of the washer past a suitable spray confining means I! with which a dampered stack 20 com- 0 municates. 5

The monorail 1 leads to the dryer. from the washer through an opening like the opening 8. A stack 22, having a, trap 23 at the lower end thereof, leads to the stack 20 to create a draft adjacent the inlet opening of the dryer and this 55 prevents ingress of fresh air into the dryer as well as egress of hot air from the dryer. The

, monorail I leads through the dryer 2| and the part of my invention except that the. tank ortanks containing water to be heated, such as the tanks l0, I3 .and !I, should be made of material having good heat eonductive' 'properties.

As best illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4, a jacket 24 is provided about the sides and bottoms of the tanks l0, l3 and i1. An inlet duct 25 leads into the lower part of the jacket 24 adjacent the inlet end of the washer. Air at relatively high temperature as, for example 700 to80=3 F.,' is forced through the inlet duct 25 into the jacket 24 from a suitable source, as wili be explained.

While any form of air heater may be used I have illustrated a heater particularly suited for the purpose. This heater, generally indicatedby 26, includes a combustion chamber 21 having a flre opening 28 through which a flame, from an oil or gas burner 29 or the like, passes into the combustion chamber. A mixing chamber 30 is provided in the .heater above the combustion chamber 21. An air inietopening 3| leads into the mixing chamber. A flue 32 is provided between the combustion and mixing chambers and air flowing thr-eugh the mixing chamber to the flue 33, leading from this chamber, withdraws the hot products of combustion from the combustion chamber through the flue 32 and these products are mixed with air in the mixing chamber and efliciently raise the temperature of the air. The air thus heated flows out through theflue 33 and duct 34 to the intake of a fan or blower 35, and the heated air is discharged from the fan through the duct 36 into the inlet duct 25.

The fan 35 forces the heated air through the ducts 36 and 25 and the'jacket 24 and as the heated airflows through the jacket it gives up heat to the water in the tanks Ill, and H.

The cooperating walls of the tanks and the.

jacket preferably extend in parallel relation and afford prolonged contactofthe air with the tanks and this construction offers minimum resistance to the air flow and afiords efficient heat transfer between the air and water. These advantages coupled with the high temperature of the air and the fact that the tanks are substantially surrounded by heated air enables the water in the tanks to be heated efficiently and quickly to a relatively high temperature.

Anoutlet duct 31 leads from the jacket 24'near the outlet end of the washer and this duct is ex.- tendedalong the bottom of the extension 23' and into the dryer 2|. Heated air flowing from the washer through this duct flows into the dryer 2| the extension 23' through the discharge openings 38. This heated air effectively dries the parts passing through the dryer and the extension.

The temperature of air fi-owing from the jacket 24 into the duct 31 and out through the discharge openings 38 retains suilicient heat to efiect eflicient drying. For example, if the temperature ofttlie air admitted into the jacket 24 through the inlet duct 25 is between 700 and 800 F. and the velocity of this air as it flowsthrough the 'Jacket' 24 and the heat transfer is such that the f parts washer.

advantage of simple and efllcient control so that temperature of "water in the tanks l0, l3 and is raised close to the boiiing point, the temperathe duct 31 wili be between 300 and 400 F.

.which is a temperature closely corresponding to tension 23' and also draws fresh air in through the opening 2|, and by reason of'the ingress oi fresh'air through the opening 2| the escape of heated air through this opening is avoided, this also being efiected at the other parts inlet and outlet openings in the washer and dryer. The air which has flowed through the jacket 24 and the dryer is therefore returned to the heater26 and any heat remaining therein is recovered and this increases theefliciency of operation ofthe heater. In event suflicient return air is not sup-v plied to the heater, a fresh air inlet 4| may be provided in the duct 40. Furthermore, dampers, such as the dampers 42 and 43 provided in the duct to and the fresh air inlet 4|, may be provided in the various ductsand these dampers may be adjusted to control the air flow to and from the heater 26. The temperature of the air admitted int-o the jacket 24Athrough the inlet duct 25 may be regulated by athermostat 25' (Fig. 1) which may be conveniently located in the duct 25 and this thermostat may be arranged to actuate suitable temperature controlling devices such as the valve 29' (Fig. 5) controlling flow to the burner 29. The thermostat .25 and the valve Hf may be electrically intertemperature in the duct 25 has the opposite effect, that is to say, the valve 29' is so actuated that flow to the burner is increased whereby the temperature in the air heater is raised.

An arrangement such as the foregoing may be advantageously employed in those places where steam is not available for heating water. Further, by reason of the efficient manner in which air may be heated in a system such as the foregoing and the efficient heat transfer afforded in passingheated air over a metal con'-' tainer having good heat conductive properties and containing a liquid to be heated, eflicient and economical heating of the liquid may be effected. Moreover, heat remaining .in the air after heating-the water may be used to dry the by evaporating thesurface water thereon.

The efliciency of the system thus attained enables more economical operation than can be realized by the use of steam coils or gas burners or other means for heating the water-used in a The system has the additional facile regulation of temperatures in various parts of the system may be expeditiously effected.

While I have illustrated and described the embodiment of my invention adapted for heating a the wash water used in a parts washerand ture of the air flawing from the duct 24 through- The draft created by the *fan. 35 withdrying the washed parts it is to be understood that the invention may be used for other pur= do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth but desire to avail myself of such changes and alterations and other uses of the invention as fall within the spirit-and scope of the following claims.

Iclaim:

1. 1a a washing-and drying system, a' parts washer having a water tank therein, a jacket disposed about said tank, a dryer to which parts washed in the washer are passed to be dried, a duct leading from said jacket to said dryer, air heating means, and means for forcing heated air from the air heating means through said jacket and said duct into the dryer, said air heating means s'umciently heating the air to heat water in said tank substantially to the boiling point a duct leading from said Jacket to said dryer,

air heating means, a fan for withdrawing heated air fromsaid air'heating means and for forcing the heated air through said jacket and said duct into the dryer, said air heating means sufficiently heating the air to heat water in said tank substantially tothe boiling point and supply air to said dryer hot enough to effect drying of the parts therein, and a return duct leading from said dryer to said air heating means and-through which air is drawn from said dryer to said air heating means by said fan to recover heat re-' maining'in the air after it has flowed through the dryer.

3. In a washing and drying system, a parts disposed about said tank, a. dryer to which parts washed in the washer are passed to be dried, a

duct leading from said jacket to said dryer, air

heating means, means forcing heated air from the air heating means through said- ,iacket and said duct into the dryer to heat water in said tank and supply heat to said dryer, and means for regulating the temperature of air flowing from said air heating means and operating to maintain the temperature of the air sufliciently high to maintain the temperature of the water in the tank substantially at the boiling point whereby variations in the temperature of the air flowing from the air heating means may vary the temperature in said dryer without substantially affecting the temperature of heated water in said tank.

4. In a washing and drying system including a washer and a dryer, a conveyor for conveying parts to be cleansed and dried successively through the washer and dryer, said washer including a water tank and means for directing a water from said tank onto the parts to effect" cleansing thereof, air heating means, means for directing heated air from the air heating means past said. water tank to heat water therein substantially to the boiling point and then into the dryer to supply heat to the dryer wherein the in the temperature of air flowing from the air heating means may vary the temperature of the air flowing into the dryer from the water tank without "substantially affecting the'temperature of the heated water in said tank. Y 

